Superminted’s Declassified Agency Survival Guide

There’s a famous African proverb that says “It takes an entire village to raise a child” – a powerful statement that highlights the importance of diversity, community, and relationships in shaping development.

In many ways, an agency is like a village – one similarly filled with relationships, personalities, and beliefs. With the goal of nurturing creative projects and campaigns to maturation, everyone within an agency has their own (and sometimes very strong) approach and point of view on how tasks should be accomplished. And whether we muck about debating or push on full steam ahead – one thing is clear: agencies can get chaotic.

Thriving In The Midst of Chaos

For us, it’s this chaos that makes agency life fun and rewarding. Full of ups and downs, twists and turns – the payoff and dopamine surge after winning a project is indescribable. But how do we get there? If you’re reading this anxiously and preparing for agency life, this is your guide on how to keep your cool, and perhaps even thrive, in the midst of agency chaos.

We know it might be tricky to keep a levelhead when things go sideways, but as a brand management agency that excels in keeping cool in chaos – these are some habits our Tribe members swear keeps them from spiralling and crashing out.

Master Micro-Prioritisation

In the thick of looming deadlines and preparing for pitches? One sure-fire way to get things done is by immediately identifying what needs to be done. Big to-do lists won’t save you; instead prioritise your tasks and know what’s important right now.

Source: Luxafor

By strategically segmenting your tasks into four categories – according to the nifty little matrix above – you’ll be able to quickly determine what’s urgent versus what’s important so you can get down to doing what matters.

Of course, be prudent and exercise your own judgement and discretion. The Eisenhower Decision Matrix only serves as a framework to help you arrive at decisions quickly – it’s a tool that’s meant to aid your heuristic decision making, and is by no means the be-all and end-all answer!

Communication Keeps You Afloat

When in doubt, always overcommunicate. In an agency, timelines shift and things are always in flux. Trust us, it’s better to constantly update your team than find out what happens if you don’t.

And if that voice in your head is telling you that you’re being annoying or clingy, put it to bed and know that you’ll be better for it. Your teammates will thank you for being on-point, updating their Notion boards, and keeping their coffee-fueled attention spans in the loop.

Create Tiny Systems That Break Your Fall

When you work in an agency, every so often you might feel like the floor gives way under you due to a variety of reasons – sometimes outside your control. Instead of going into panic mode, prepare failsafes that will help catch you and soften the impact.

For example, our Content, Engagement, and Performance team has a “break in case of emergency” stash of templates, cheat sheets, and archived content inspo that we use when things go sideways.

Prepare your own failsafes, for situations where you might need them most – the less energy you spend troubleshooting, the more you can spare to land on your feet!

Find Your Tribe, and Vibe Together

People naturally gravitate towards each other. Whether it’s within a community, a village, or an agency – there’ll always be distinct pockets of people, each with their own culture, lingo, and inside jokes.

While the stereotype of agencies being filled with outgoing and vocal people is rooted in a certain degree of truth, that doesn’t mean you have to go all out to be best friends with everyone. Instead, find that group of people you can vibe with.

How can you tell, you ask? With your tribe, work breezes by. They’ll bring out your most authentic self, allowing you to speak freely and be creative without fear of judgement. They’ll bounce ideas off you naturally and small moments of laughter or frustration become treasured memories.

No matter what, these peers – who you’ll inevitably battle through proposals, meetings, and eventually trauma bond with – will be what makes being part of an agency so amazing.

Ready To Build Bold Brands Without Losing Your Cool?

At Superminted, we live and breathe creative chaos. We roll with the punches and stick the landings – all without spilling a single drop of coffee.

If you’re game to flex your imagination and creative chops, hit us up! We’re always on the lookout for fresh perspectives.

Daryl is a Copy Editor at Superminted, fueled by a love for bringing emotionally engaging stories to life. With  carefully selected words and a smart turn of phrase, he is devoted to helping brands shape their unique voice.